Coupling



Patented Nov. 2, 1943 COUPLING Raymond R. Zimmer, Chicago, Ill., assigner to The Bastian Blessing C0., Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application May 7, 1942, Serial No. 442,022

6 Claims.

The present invention relates to couplings generally, and more particularly to a joint by which a flexible conduit member is secured with respect to an opening through which uid under pressure is expected to ow.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a novel coupling by which a conduit made of a plastic having a hardness of Shore A-lOO or more, and an elongation range of to 40 percent may be successfully connected to a metal fitting or coupling member to withstand high pressure fluid transmission.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved coupling construction which can be used with a tube made of plastic such as yinylidene chloride, polyvinyl alcohol, or the like.

Another object is to provide an improved coupling arrangement which can be readily assembled of separate and separable parts which, when once-placed in operation acquire the status of an assembled unit which cannot be dismantled and reassembled without detection or destruction.

A further object of the invention is to provide a coupling arrangement made up of a swaging nut and a swaged sleeve which are held in assembled relationship with respect to each other once they have been placed in operation.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved coupling for the purposes mentioned, which is easy and inexpensive to manufacture, assemble and use, is thoroughly rugged and enduring under work conditions, and provides a coupling arrangement which is very facile to handle.

'I'hese being among the objects of the present invention, other and further objects will become apparent from the drawing, the description relating thereto and the appended claims.

Referring now to the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the preierred embodiment of the invention in which a iiexible tube made of a plastic is secured to a` high pressure metal' connection;

Fig. 2 is a. longitudinal section taken through the coupling shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a View illustrating the position and construction of the parts slightly modied from these shown in Fig. 2 as they appear before the coupling nut is tightened into place;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section similar to Fig. 3 illustrating the form and relationship of the parts illustrated in Fig. 3 after the coupling nut has been tightened into place.

Many attempts have been made to provide a suitable coupling arrangement for a plastic tub- IIJ engages.

ing, but either the plastic yields endlessly, nows out, or becomes weakened under pressure at the ,point where the clamping or securing pressure is applied. Other plastics are too brittle to withstand the pressure established and in most instances the tubing tears or breaks away when subjected to working conditions or vibration.

' In the present invention an arrangement has been discovered which, in combination with a plastic having a comparatively wide range bothof hardness and the percentage of elongation, is externally forced against an internal support by `a member which displaces sufficient of the body of the tubing to provide' a clamping relationship that traps in a swaging relationship that part of the body of the tube which makes up the end portion of the tube.

In the practice of my invention, I prefer to draw or swage a portion of a tapering sleeve into clamping relationship with respect to a tube made of a plastic to flare the tapering end of the sleeve outwardly to provide a' rounded edge contacting the tube where the tube'might otherwise be cut, and, to provide simultaneously therewith a iiange which holds the nut in assembled position upon the coupling member.

More speciiically, as indicated in Fig. 1, a errible tube I0, made of such a material as vinylidene chloride or polyvinyl alcohol, having a Shore hardness A-` or more and an elongation range of 10 to 40 percent is shown connected to a metal elbow II which' is fastened in a bpss I2 upon a high pressure container I3 adapted to hold under pressure a liquefied gas such as butane or propane or other gases such as carbon-dioxide.l

Referring to Fig. 2, the connection more particularly comprises a nipple I4, a tapering sleeve I5, a coupling nut I6, a washer I'I and a threaded portion I8 of the elbow II squared on its end as al1-20 to make up with the washer I1.

More particularly, the nipple I4 has a central portion 2l insertable into the end oi' the tube I0 and provided with an outer surface `22 which may be roughened, coniigured or otherwisey fashioned irregularly as by knurling or 'circumferentially grooving to provide a gripping action with the tubing when the tubing is deformed inwardly with its face 23 embedded against the surface 22.v

Washer I1 at its outer end and to provide a shoulder 25 against which the end 26 of the tube As more particularly shown in Fig. 3, the initial form of the sleeve I is shown where it has a preferably cylindrical inner surface 21 o f a diameter permitting it to t snugly Aover the outer face 28 of the tube I0. The outer surface 30 of the sleeve I5 is frusta-conical having an included anglepreferably of approximately 24 degrees. -v

When the sleeve I5 inserted in place with the end 26 of the tube III brought into contact with the shoulder 25, the sleeve I5 is moved against the shoulder 25 also, after which the nut I6 is brought into its initial position as shown in Fig. 3.

The nut I6 comprises a hollow body suitably threaded or otherwise constructed to be secured to a member such as the elbow II, it being preferable that the coupling be one made up by a the same time that the longitudinal movement is imparted to the nut IE. The nut I5 is cut away as at 3I to clear the flange 24 and the shoulder 25 preferably at all times. Although a centering action may be relied upon between the outer surthreaded joint which provides a rotaryaction at n face 32 of the flange 24 and the inner surface 33 Consequently, although certain dimensions are given for purposes of illustration, these may be varied, especially if compensatory changes are made in other parts of the device within the purposes and objects of the invention. y

Consequently, although the preferred embodiment of the construction has been shown and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the spirit and substance of the invention, the scope of which is commensurate vwith the appended ceived over said sleeve and having an inner conical wall provided with an angle of taper greater than the sleeve wall and terminating in a Y rounded edge providing an opening of a dimension engaging the sleeve at a point proximate the tapered end of the sleeve, and means for drawing the rounded edge along the tapered sleeve to swage the outer end of the sleeve upwardly to both sides to prevent it from turning when longitudinal pressure is applied between the nut and the nipple I4.

Then, as the nut I6 is tightened into place the edge 35 swages the sleeve inwardly and causes the metal in the sleeve to ow inwardly to embed the inner face 23 of the tubing III in the outer face 22 of the sleeve, after which the drag of the edge 35 either with or without the resiliency in the tube causes the edge 2I of the sleeve to flare outwardly far enough to providea flange like member 36 of a diameter greater than the opening 35 to hold the nut I6 in place.

In the swaging of the sleeve as just described, the end portion 26 is more particularly indicated in Fig. 4 as trapped between the inwardly forced portion of the sleeve and the shoulder so that a substantial stock of the tube located there provides an anchor against the tube being withdrawn even when the nut II is loosened any time thereafter, the sleeve and the nipple providing suiicient clamping relationship to hold the tube in place without assistance from the nut whenever the coupling is disconnected.

With this particular arrangement, a coupling `is provided wherein once assembled same cannot be dismantled without detection or without destroying the assembly.

Although this invention is capable of variation vwithin equivalent limits, a structural arrangement has been found to be quite successful wherein the internal diameter of the sleeve is H" long and the external diameter at the small end of the sleeve is 2%4". With the cooperating face 34 of the nut having a diameter at its small portion of .411 and the edge 35 rounded to a .039 radius. Furthermore, the nut may be made from a brass forging and the sleeve from an annealed brass rod.

hold the nut in place, and a portion of the sleeve intermediate its ends inwardly to force the body of the tube to conform to the outer face of the tail piece and .trap a tapering portion of the end ofthe tube between said swaged portion and the shoulder.

2. The` combination of a tail piece having a roughened outer surface, a tube made of vinylidene chloride, the inner surface fitting snugly over the outer surface of the tail piece, a sleeve received over the tube and having a conical outer Wall having a predetermined angle of taper, a jam nut received over said sleeve and having an inner conical wall provided with an angle of taper greater than the sleeve wall and terminating in a rounded edge providing an opening of a dimension engaging thesleeve at a point proximate the tapered end of the sleeve, and means for drawing the rounded edge along the tapered sleeve to swage the outer end of the sleeve upwardly to hold the nut in place and a portion of the sleeve intermediate its ends inwardly to force the body of the tube to conform to the outer face of the tail piece and trap a tapering portion of the end ofthe tube ahead of said swaged portion.

-conical outer wall having a predetermined angle of taper, a jam nut received over said sleeve and having an inner conical wall provided with an angle of taper greater than the sleeve wall providing an opening of a dimension engaging the sleeve at a point slightly inside the end of the sleeve, and means for drawing the nut along the tapered sleeve to swage the outer end of the sleevel upwardly to hold the nut in place and a portion of the sleeve inwardly to force the body of the tube to conform to the outer face of the tail piece and trap a tapering portion of the end of the tube between said swaged portion and the shoulder.

4. The combination of a tail piece having a knurled outer surface, atube made of a plastic having a Shore hardness upwards of A-100, the inner surface of which ts snugly over the outer surface'of the tail piece, a sleeve received over the tube and having a conical outer wall having a predetermined angle of taper, means for holding the sleeve in a predetermined position, a jam nut received over said sleeve and having an inner conical wall provided with a taper terminating in a rounded edge providing an opening of a dimension engaging the sleeve at a. point proximate thetapered endl of the sleeve, and means for drawing the rounded edge along the tapered sleeve to swage the outer end of the sleeve upwardly to hold the nut in place, and a portion of the sleeve intermediate its ends inwardly to force the body of the tube to conform to the outer face of'the tail piece and trap a tapering portion of the end of the tube between said swaged portion and said holding means.`

5. The combination of a tube made of plastic having a Shore hardness upwards of A-100,.a tail piece having an outer surface machined to t snugly within the end of the tube and to embed in the inner wall of the tube, a sleeve received over the tube and havinga conical outer wall provided with e predetermined angie of taper, means for holding the sleeve ina predetermined position, a jam nut received over said sleeve and having' the relieved inner wall terminating in a rounded edge of a dimension to engage the sleeve at a point intermediate the ends of said taper,

and means for drawing the rounded edge along the taper on the sleeve to swage the inner portion of the sleeve inwardly against Athe tube to trap a. tapering portion of the end of the tube between the swaged portion and said holding means and to move the outer end of the sleeve away from the Wall of the tube.

6. The combination of a tube made of plastic having a Shore hardness upwards of A100 and an elongation range of 10 "to 40 percent, a tail piece having an outer surface adapted to fit snugly within the end of the tube and to embed in the inner wall of the tube, a sleeve received over the tube and having a tapering outer wall provided wlth a predetermined angle of taper, means for holding the sleeve in a predetermined position, a, jam nut received over said sleeve and having a relieved inner wall terminating in a rounded edge adapted to engage the'slee've at a point intermediate the ends of said taper, said sleeveexf. tending beyond said rounded edge'when so en'- gaged, and means for drawing the rounded edge against the tapering wall of the sleeve to swage the inner portion of the sleeve inwardly against the outer surface of the tube to embed the outer surface of the tail piece in the inner wall of the tube'and to trap a tapering portion of the end of the tube ahead of said swage, said extending portion of said sleeve being flared slightly outwardly away from the wall of the tube. y

RAYMOND R. ZIMMER. y 

